Category Archives: Macro Topics

This article, written in April 2013, was published originally in “Turkey Real Estate 2013” in July 2013… http://turkey-re.com/wp-content/uploads/flipbooks/TRE2013/files/mobile/index.html#22 When I was writing for Turkey Real Estate last year, one of the questions that were discussed in my article was whether it was time for re-balancing in Turkey. 2012 indeed turned out to be a year […]

Even before the Gezi protests started at the end of May, the critical question for the Turkish economy was whether the growth was sustainable. Having grown by an average of 5,5% in the past ten years, Turkey has been giving an average current account deficit of 7,3% in the last three years, raising concerns of […]

Domestic demand’s rapid growth and the decoupling between domestic and external demand raised the current account deficit significantly in Turkey since 2010. However, developments in terms of trade (TofT) independently affect the external deficits as well. This note analyses analyses the impact of terms of trade on Turkey’s current account balance. In addition to decoupling […]

What Does It Mean for Investments? Turkey’s investment to GDP ratio of around 23% is one of the lowest among its peers and it needs to increase its investment rate with an aim of raising the value added of its domestic production and hence exports. From a growth perspective, Turkey needs an investment ratio of […]

After twenty years, Turkey is finally rated investable by two-rating agencies. Even though Moody’s upgrade on May 16th upgrade was largely expected, it deserves attention for its impact on Turkey’s long-term structural issues. First part of this essay, which is posted below, argues that the level current account deficit has reached in Turkey puts external […]

In its recent publications, Central Bank of Turkey (CBT) has been stating that 1q13 economic activity suggested a marked recovery in domestic demand, stemming from the modest rise in consumption and considerable expansion in investment. Bank also claimed that the recovery is continuing in the second 2q13. Central Bank’s optimistic assessment regarding the pace of […]

I have always found the IMF reports on Turkey interesting: With a focus on long-term sustainability, the reports are good reminder of what the financial markets might overlook. Because they draw a solid framework on the problems of the Turkish economy, they help to put things into perspective for the financial and real sector professionals […]

Policymakers, especially the Central Banks, generally take into account the price stability while setting policy. Employment and unemployment are only the part of reference set of policy frameworks. But, there is a new noteworthy trend in policymakers’ decision making practices, which was primarily realized by the US Federal Reserve (FED). Labor market conditions and policies […]